Saint Leo University Names Lance Randall Head Men's Basketball Coach

Apr 08, 2011

Championship-Winning Coach Enters Division II Ranks

SAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo University Director of Athletics Francis X. Reidy announced the appointment of Lance Randall as the new men's basketball coach for the Lions. Randall previously served as the associate head coach at Division III powerhouse Wisconsin – Stevens Point, and will become the 10th coach in program history.

"We had many strong candidates for this position, and were very pleased with each of the finalists," Reidy said. "However, Lance Randall's varied experience at virtually every level – NBA, European professional, Division I, Division III and high school, where success occurred at each stop was one of the major factors in him being selected. His various positions have created a diversified network of contacts which will be useful in recruiting in other regions and even other continents."

Randall has a strong coaching resume on a variety of levels at both the high school and collegiate basketball ranks over the past 17 years since his time as a student-athlete at Beloit College. During his most recent stint, where he served as associate head coach at Stevens Point since 2009, Randall helped guide a squad that took home the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championship.

"I am very appreciative of Fran Reidy and (University President) Dr. Kirk for having the faith in me to lead the next era of Saint Leo University Men's Basketball," Randall said. "I am looking forward to the challenges that await, as we work towards building a championship program steeped in the core values of Saint Leo University."

Randall, who has taken teams to the NCAA tournament as player, an assistant and as a head coach, guided a Wisconsin high school to consecutive state titles after taking over the program prior to the 2005 season. In three seasons with the Oshkosh West High School boys' basketball team, Randall led his squad to an impressive 71-3 overall record. His 2006 team posted a perfect 26-0 record on its way to the state title.

His time at Oshkosh West marked the first of two times Randall tackled the high school ranks as he also served as the head coach, Dean of Students and Assistant Athletic Director at Cedarburg High School in Cedarburg, Wisconsin during the 2008-2009 school year. Prior to his return to high school basketball in 2008, Randall spent one season as assistant coach for Loyola University in Chicago.

"The other major factor was Coach Randall's ability to articulate how he plans to build the Saint Leo basketball into a successful program," Reidy continued. "Saint Leo has become successful as a university over the last decade with intense planning and execution of those plans. Lance's grasp of how we do business was evident in his interviews, materials he provided us with, making him the best fit for the position."

The task will not be an easy one for the championship-winning coach as he takes over a 12-16 program that won just two Sunshine State Conference games in 2010-11 and missed out on the conference tournament. His skills as a talented recruiter and coach will immediately be put to the test as he now leads a team that last posted a winning record during the 1997-98 season when the Lions finished 19-9.

It was the mark of a man who is familiar with turning programs around, as he assumed the reins of a 2-23 Webster University team in 1997 and turned them into conference champions and NCAA contenders as the Gorlocks claimed the 1999-2000 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. Becoming the winningest coach in Webster history, Randall was twice named the SLIAC Coach of the Year, leading the program to the best turnaround in the NCAA in all divisions.

After Webster, Randall served a two-year stint as the head coach and vice president of operations for the Pertemps Birmingham Bullets professional team in Birmingham, England. He then returned to the States, making his entrance into the Division I ranks as he joined Brad Soderberg's staff at Saint Louis University from 2002 to 2004.

The Montfort, Wisc., native began his coaching career as an assistant coach for his alma mater from 1994 through 1997, winning two Midwest Conference Championships for the Bucs during that time.

Randall is a 1994 graduate of Beloit College with a degree in Government and also holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching, from Webster University. At Beloit, Randall was a two-time basketball team captain and Johnny Orr Leadership award winner on a nationally ranked squad and team MVP.

A highly touted motivational speaker and clinician, Randall has spoken all over the country. He has produced numerous national bestselling videotapes on offensive and defensive strategies of coaching basketball. This is in addition to his wide variety of skills and talents within the support staff ranks as he also served as an Assistant Athletic Director, Sports Information and Community Events Coordinator, a College Instructor and a Summer Camps Director.

Randall is a member of the NABC and an executive board member of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.

Reidy concluded, "Lance's experience as a sports information director and assistant athletic director gave him an edge on how to market and bring attention to the program, key ingredients when constructing a new beginning. We look forward to Lance, wife Pamela, and children Evelyn, River, Ruby and Rocco becoming part of the Saint Leo community as we move into a new era with our basketball program."

Randall and his wife, Pamela, have four children, Evelyn (8), River (5) Ruby (2) and Rocco (1).